Apparation and Sirius' vault

[jimlaming]

No: HPFGUIDX 110620

Grey Wolf wrote:

This was seriously considered way back. In absence of canon, there 
really is very little we can say about how those soul images knew the 
cup was still a portkey. Let me see if I can remember the 
possibilities:

<hugh snip>

I won't lie to you - there simply isn't enough canon to decide. As 
far as I can see, this are really the three main options. Beyond 
that, it's up to everyone to choose. I prefer the third one, but 
since MD works with both second and third (and probably could be 
spinned to work with the first, but we haven't bothers), it is really 
of little relevance.

Jim comes back with:

I am of the opinion that the cup was already programmed to be a port 
key and Crouch!Moody just "added a stop to it."  You're right that we 
do not have enough canon to solve this one, however, I think we do 
have canon to indicate how the wand images knew it was still an 
active portkey.

In GOF, on the way to the QWC, Arthur tells the kids to look for the 
port key.  Mr. Diggery calls out that he had already found it.  How?  
It is suppose to look innocuous.  It seems logical from this exchange 
that the portkey emits some aura that an enlightened wizard can 
detect.  

Jim Laming